Merry Christmas!!!

This will be my last post for a little while, so just wanted to pop in and say a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my blogging friends! Thank you all for your wonderful friendship and support this year - I look forward to another great year in 2007 with you all!

We are off on our trip tomorrow (I just cant believe its nearly here!) and I think I'm almost all set. Just got a minor detail of packing to do today! Also have to do my nails, go to BF's family's place to celebrate Christmas (and nieces' birthday), finish chopping dog food, do more washing, go buy a bigger suitcase for BF (so we can bring lots of goodies home)... OMG I best get cracking!!

I will try to blog whilst overseas, but I'm not sure how often it will be... otherwise we'll be home on the 20th of January, so will hopefully update soon after that.

We go to Singapore until the 27th of December, then in the UK until the 11th of January. Then we're in Austria until the 14th of Jan, then Italy until the 19th of January..... oooooh I cant wait!

Hope everyone has a fantastic break! Byeeeeee!!!!!!!!

This time next week....

...we'll be on the plane!  7 days to go... I'm so excited!!

Yesterday we went out and bought ourselves some thermal tops, and also I got my very first pair of hiking boots!  I was quite excited about these, and so I wore them all afternoon around the house.... it did look quite funny (especially on me) wearing shorts, black socks and these great clod-hopping boots ;-)~ I said to BF that I looked like I should be working at Australia Zoo or in a wildlife park.  But had to break them in, dont want to get sore feet whilst tramping around England or Scotland.

Picked up the tickets on Saturday, along with itineraries, travel vouchers etc... so it REALLY feels like its not far away now!  Finished off my Christmas shopping too, so its all coming together.  This week will be a mission, trying to organise money, copies of passports, chopping up dog food (a months worth!!), packing, having Christmas a few days early with both sets of families, boyfriends' birthday on Thursday... plus working up til Friday, and still finding time to train!

We're having 'dress up theme days' this week at work - Wednesday is "Wiggles" Day - I'm dressing as the yellow one, although I had to go buy a top especially.  Why cant there be a black Wiggle... I've got lots of black!

Anyway, a short one today - lots to do...

Have a great week!

Robbie Report

Wow what a fantastic night!  I'm not hungover, but I am sooo tired!!   It was a fabulous concert, my feet are still sore from standing up and bopping all night, and my voice is a bit hoarse from singing and "woohoo-ing" all night!

So it was a great show, the support act (Sneaky Sound System) did not impress, but other than that it was a fabulous night!  We got ready at work (and this started from about 3pm yesterday afternoon) - so it was fun trying to find a spot by the mirror in the bathroom!  We left work at 4-ish and went to one of the ladies houses for a quick glass of champers, and then into a mini-bus and to the stadium.  The corporate box was open air - and we had a few plates of nibblies and finger food through the night - I even managed to eat 2 King Prawns, and I dont like prawns, so this was impressive for me!  I managed to eat more than my share of cheese and crackers though!   But OMG it was so hot and humid, I was wishing I hadn't worn jeans, and I would have killed for a hair band to tie my hair up cos the back of my neck was all sticky... yuk!  I had a couple of glasses of wine, and about 3 bottles of water, had to stay well-hydrated.

When Robbie came on it was just this amazing atmosphere, everyone screaming and jumping.  It was great - I took a few photos so I will try to post them, but they are a bit fuzzy because I had to use the digital zoom to get close enough to see him.  We were about halfway down the stadium, so we had a pretty good view, but still a little far away for photos.  It was weird because I kept finding myself watching the screens, rather than the "actual Robbie" on stage - everyone else said they kept catching themselves doing the same thing.   He had to be finished by 10.30 because of the noise restrictions around Suncorp Stadium, and he actually finished by 10.20.  So we were back on our bus by 10.30, and I was home by 11.30. But that is suuuuper late for me and I am so tired! 

Anyway, a great night and we are all walking around with big sleepy grins on our faces today!

Yesterday I jumped on the scales and found myself at 56.8kgs - woohoo!  I have been hovering just above 57kgs for so long now, it was nice to break into the next bracket down.  I was over that this morning, bit too many carbs last night took its toll, and not going to gym this morning probably didn't help.  Hey - sometimes sleep has to take priority!

Well thats about it from this tired little bunny - looking forward to a good sleep tonight.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Blah!

I had a bad week last week.  Not enough exercise, too much bad food.  I'm blaming the hormones - bloody PMT!   Cranky, moody, bloated, emotional basket-case, cravings, arguement-picking... that pretty much sums up my week last week!

Anyway, putting it behind me now.  My weight went up over the weekend, and everything feels huge at the moment... boobs, bum, belly!  Blah! 

Saturday was a big walk with the dogs, and then I tried to finish my Christmas shopping, I got close, but didn't quite finish it.  We had the electrician around all day fixing our new gates, intercom, and outdoor lights.  The dogs got bathed (Elke took much less time to bath now that she's got no hair!).  Saturday night dinner with friends.

Sunday morning we awoke to the sight of a dead possum on one of the dogs beds.  We have no idea which one of them did it, but we were most unimpressed.  BF went outside to put the poor thing in a bag, and turned to look at me in horror... there was a little baby possum lying beside it.  It was about the length of your thumb, no hair, it was so young that its eyes werent even open yet.  And then... it moved - it was alive.  Poor BF, he was so upset.  So we scooped up the poor little baby, and I rang the 24 hour emergency vet number.  It was heartbreaking - when we first picked it up it was as cold as ice, I put my finger out to touch it and it grabbed my finger with all four legs, just like a human baby does with your finger.  So we put it in a little box with cotton wool, wrapped it in a heat-bag, and we rushed it up to the Animal centre.  Poor little possum bub.  It didnt take long for him to warm up with the heat bag, and the vet nurse said they would do what they could, but it was probably just too little to survive.  So sad.

So then I went to the shops and bought bells for the dogs collars.  They sound like cats running around now, but who cares as long as it saves the wildlife.

It is two weeks today that we leave on our trip.  In fact, by this time in a fortnight, we should be in Singapore.  It feels like its coming so quick, but also like it will never get here.  The anticipation is half the fun I think.

And... 3 more sleeps til Robbie!

Some photos

"The wilderness" Our front yard - before bobcat. This is looking from the house to the front fence.

The Lawn! Our front yard - after bobcat and turf.

Our new car, parked on our lovely dirt driveway where its getting quite filthy.














"What have you done to me?!!!!"

Poor Elke, after being shaved on Sunday. She looks like a little puppy here, but she's a 3 year old border collie cross Keeshond. Its just the head that looks a little strange. I'm sure it wont take too long for the rest of it to grow back, but in the meantime she's gotta be loving the feeling of being cool.

My jeans fit !!!!!

Last Friday I tried on those couple of pairs of jeans that I have that I couldn't get into, and they now fit!!!!!! There is one pair that I probably still wouldn't wear in public at the moment, but the others are fine now... this was my major goal for the trip, so with a couple of weeks to go, everything should be fitting just perfectly! Sweet!

The weekend was busy again, as usual. Saturday: up early and took the dogs for a walk, then coffee with a friend and an optomotrist appointment. Got some more stuff for the trip (a satin eye mask, a large red handbag so I can carry more crap around with me, a new belt, and a travel journal) and actually have started putting things in the suitcase, which is exciting. Saturday night we went to a BBQ - BF had been working like a trojan all day building our new electric gates, so I let him drink. Its easier to stay on plan when you are the designated driver! I had far too many crackers and Castello cheese though - yum!

Sunday i went and got my hair done - I had a fair bit of length chopped off, and a colour, plus this gorgeous slash of colour down the right side of my head. Its bright orange, maybe an inch and a half thick - I love it. Then I filled my nails, and did a french polish - so I'm feeling all girly again. Ahhhh grooming up to date!

On Sunday afternoon we shaved Elke. Its been sooo hot for her. She had lovely shiny hair down her back, very silky and soft, but she would never let you near her rear end to brush it. Consequently the bottom section of her was all matted and knotted - her tail was pretty much dreadlocks. So she got clipped. I will have to post a photo, she is a little bit funny looking, poor thing, mostly because we left her head as it was, just trimmed it a bit. So she looks like a black lion, only little. Felt sorry for her, because it had been hot and humid all day, and as soon as we shaved her down to a one-blade, this storm came over and it rained and got quite cool. Poor little thing was curled up in a little ball in her bed! Must have felt quite strange for her, but I'm sure she'll appreciate it in the hot days to come.

I'm taking her for a walk this afternoon, I hope the other dogs dont laugh at her! :)

21 days to go! The days are going so fast, I bet the holiday will be over just as quick!

Tired

OMG I am sooo tired. I just cant catch up on my sleep, and I wake up feeling worse than I did when I went to sleep. Last night it tried to storm, and it was so windy that I kept waking up hearing stuff falling on the roof. This morning I am overcome with guilt, because I was too exhausted to get up and go to gym. I cant wait for this holiday, although it probably wont be much of a rest! 25 days to go!

Training is going well, eats are going well too - although I struggled last night to keep it clean. Sugar was calling me, but I managed to ignore it. Blah. I'm staying strong, and beginning to feel a lot leaner. I think my arms are showing much more definition, although the scales and measurements arent moving all that dramatically.

On Sunday morning when I was doing my weekly groceries, I got to the register and had one of those "hmmm" moments. The young guy at the register picks up my bag of snow peas... looks at me quizzically and asks "are these beans?"

"no, snow peas"....

He then picks up my cucumber and says "this is a cucumber, yeah?"

"yes" I said, thinking; does this boy not eat vegetables? He then picked up my leek - and all he had to do was hesitate and look at me, so I jumped right in saying "its a leek".

"A leek?... how do you spell that?"

hmmmmmmm. Maybe it was his first day? It really makes me wonder how anyone could get to the age of 17 and NOT know what all this stuff is!!! OK I'll grant him that a leek probably isn't your everyday vegetable, but the rest???

Tuesday I went to the eye specialist to find out about Implantable Contact Lenses (as i was unsuitable for Lasik) - and I'm now booked in to have it done - the 15th of March next year (the Ides of March, my dad tells me... is that a bad omen?) - my right eye gets done first, then a few weeks later the left gets done. Exciting and frightening all at the same time!!

Have a great Thursday!

My fabulous week

I'm baaa-aaack! What a busy week I've had! Tuesday morning I was up at 4am and then off to the airport to catch my flight to Rockhampton - what a long day that was. Spent my day training new staff members, then found myself a gym and joined up for a 5 visit pass. I had been to this gym before, but I'd never explored it before. Its an old building (think it might have been a bank once) and its HUGE. I've never seen such a huge gym. They have an enormous aerobic room (which had supporting columns up through the middle lol! - not good if you forget they're there) a normal weights room, then a pretty big womens weights area (and no baby-weights either, very pleased to see) and a special cardio area. What I didn't realise that this place had another level underneath, containing a 25m pool, RPM bike area, boxing gym, squash courts and a "Powerlifting" weights area!! Almost made me want to move to Rocky!

Despite all this, there is little or no airconditioning, and it gets pretty hot up there. I did a Body Step class on Wednesday afternoon and I was dying afterwards - so hot! Aaaaaaannnyway, I kicked butt while I was away! I visited the gym 5 times in 3 days, on Wednesday I burned 819 calories all up (very pleased with myself I was!) - and by Thursday afternoon I had already reached my weekly goal of 2400 cals burned, 8 hours of exercise. I was also shattered and exhausted! Probably did too much too quickly, but I felt so motivated.

Food was brilliant - I kept logging my calories to keep track, and it really helped. My only blunder was a breakfast omlette one morning... made with whole eggs, and it had bacon and cheese, and came with white bread and butter. I ate it. It happens. But all in all, I survived pretty well!

Some other exciting news... my work got a corporate box organised for the Robbie Williams concert in two weeks. They announced last week that there were 7 tickets to give away, and that they were going to draw names out of a hat.... yep you guessed it... I'M GOING TO ROBBIE WILLIAMS!!!!!! Woohoo! So exciting! And in a corporate box too!!!! Its on Thursday 14th December.

And to cap off a brilliant week, yesterday we went to have a look at an Nissan Xtrail, and ended up driving home with it! Its exciting, and I love it, but I will miss my V8. I used to love driving it because it had a lovely V8 rumble and I felt a bit tough! The Xtrail will be a lot cheaper to run though, its a 2003 model, white, automatic, tinted windows... my new baby!

Just when everything is going well...

... you get sent away for work again. I've been working so hard on establishing my new fitness routine, gym every morning and walking the dogs in the afternoon, and now I have to go to Rockhampton tomorrow for the rest of the week. grrrrrr. The bonus is that I will have a car, so at least I can go to gym up there.

Travelling for work has always been the biggest problem for me, I find it hard in terms of nutrition. Its a challenge to eat clean when you're dining on restaraunt food all the time, and sometimes the places I stay at dont understand what you mean when you say "No dressing, and I dont want the potato" - they look at you like you're from another planet or something. There is usually no option to cook for yourself either. I generally take my own food for meals 2 and 4, so thats no problem. Its breakfast and dinner that have "undone" me in the past! But I WILL be saying no to the breakfast buffet, and WILL say no to carbs at dinner... send me your positive thoughts!!!!

Well, measurements day was Saturday, and I'm quite pleased with the results. Although the scales aren't moving a whole lot, the cm's and mm's are coming off. After 10 weeks I have lost a total of 9cm all over, and 9mm in skinfolds. Technically I have only 2 weeks to go, but I have decided to continue my challenge until just before the trip. I realise that I wasted the first 6 weeks by not focussing properly, and its only been in the last 2 weeks that I have been really determined. Having this deadline of the trip dangling in front of me has been the best motivator ever!

Paid for the balance of the trip on Saturday, and then went outside and got myself a little sun. I've decided that I refuse to go to England and be whiter than the locals. So I'm dedicating half an hour each Saturday and Sunday on getting a little suntan. I dont need to look like a 'bronzed Aussie', but I dont want to be white as a ghost either!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Spiders

We're not in the bush, but we're in an area that is close to bushland, and bigger blocks.  And that means more "wildlife".  And that means huges spiders.  The other night I was watching TV and I saw something out of the corner of my eye..... I shrieked "HUNTSMAN HUNTSMAN HUNTSMAN!!!!"  Oooh it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it.  Huntsman are especially bad because they are big and hairy and they bloody jump at you... So poor BF had to get up and get the spray and chase thing thing around the lounge room, while I hid in the kitchen (I actually got into the pantry and shut the door... sad arent I?)

Then a few days later I was about to leave for work and I went looking for the cat (just to make sure he wasn't locked in the bathroom or anything) and he was sitting in the garage.  Just sitting - looking at the bar-fridge.  I asked him what was wrong, and he "meowed" and walked up to the fridge door (we have a strange relationship, me and the cat - he's a talkative Siamese, so we 'chat' quite a bit).  So I bumped the fridge and a mid-sized huntsman ran out from underneath.  So the cat chased it around and batted it like a ball for a bit with me yelling "GET IT CONNOR - GET IT!".  Not sure if he got it - I had to leave before the game was finished.   I hope he did, otherwise there's another spider loose in the house.

I've been using Fitday again since last Thursday, and managing to keep my calories in check.  I have realised that I was grossly undercalculating how much I was actually eating - it is so easy to consume more calories than you think you are.  Anyway, now its under control, and I feel a lot more focussed.  Actually seeing some changes on the scale, so thats a plus.  For me, using Fitday is a really good idea, it makes me rethink everything I'm about to eat...

Woke up at 3 o'clock this morning - and spent the next 2 hours dozing, then waking up - for some reason I kept thinking I'd overslept.  When I actually got up, the first thing I thought was "Oh well, at least today is Friday.... hang on.... its only Thursday - groan"  Did Body Attack again this morning, got through 400 calories.  Felt like I got through it a lot easier than last week too - yay!  I love the high-kicking track - reminds me of my jazz ballet days when we used to do the Can-Can.  Then I'm taking the dogs for another powerwalk this afternoon, and then Step tomorrow morning.   Just call me Cardio-Queen!

Its Monday again...

I had a fabulous weekend. Saturday I was up early to take the dogs for a long walk before the hydro-bath man came to bath them Then I headed up to the shops and had myself a mini shopping spree! I bought three new tops for work, a pair of trousers, a new hair clip, three gym tops, two sports bras and (this is my favourite one) a "gift pack" of mini-perfumes - Christian Dior - Jadore, Addict, Pure Poison, Miss Dior Cherie and Dolce Vita - all for me!!!! I love those little mini perfumes, they're just the perfect size for your handbag, and you get to try some that you wouldn't normally try. So now I'm all set for fragrance for the trip!

42 days to go, by the way... just in case you thought I'd forgotten my countdown.

Saturday afternoon I was meant to be going to the fitness expo with Andj, but unfortunately she fell sick so she had to ring and cancel. Hope you're feeling a bit better now Andj!

On Saturday night my boyfriend and I had a fantastic evening - first having dinner (and cocktails!) and then going to the movies. We saw Jackass Number Two, and I have to say that despite the bad reviews it got, it was absolutely hilarious. I have to admit that I had never dry-retched in a cinema before, but I have now!! Ewww it was so gross in some parts, but pretty funny - the whole cinema was in stitches the whole way through. Nothing wrong with a little (or a lot of) toilet humour to cap off an evening!

Sunday was the usual groceries, washing clothes, chopping dog food... but I am so proud of myself to say that I ate 100% to plan on the weekend. I had a free meal on Saturday night but I didn't go overboard, I stopped when I felt satisfied, no munchies in the movies, 2.5 litres of water each day, felt GREAT!!!

And... I worked out that I burned over 2400 calories last week, and did over 8.5 hours of exercise - woohoo! Now its my goal to better that this week. Next weekend is another measurements day, got to see some changes!

100 walking lunges...

I dont like the scales. They're moving in the wrong direction lately. I cant claim to have been eating totally clean, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This week I have been spot on though, and the goal is to still go to gym 5 mornings per week - but also to walk the dogs a minimum of 3 afternoons each workday. Then another longer dog walk on Saturday. So far so good!

Tuesday afternoon after the dog walk I wanted to do more - so I did 100 walking lunges (without a break) around the garage. After about 70 my legs were screaming, and on the final 20 my hamstrings were cramping like crazy. Finished that, caught my breath, and then did 60 pop squats (2 sets of 30), then I had to lay down! Got the heart rate soaring, and I felt GREAT! Think I am going to do that a couple of afternoons a week, that should get my butt into shape. My legs are sore now though.

A funny thing happened at the gym on the other morning. I was doing my usual shoulder workout, and a guy moved to the bench beside me to do some dumbell chest presses. He sort of acted all cocky and confident - I just got on with my workout. Anyway I was between sets, and this guy picks up his weights, leans back to lie on the bench, and as he did.... HE.... FARTED. OMG I was horrified! I didn't know which way to look, I bit my lip and tried not to laugh!!!! He carried on with his set, but he dropped the weights early and got out of there quick-smart!! heheheh

This morning I did an Attack class, my gym is trialling it at the 5.45am timeslot for a month. The whole class was red-faced by about halfway through - my god I forgot what an awesome workout they are! After the "running around" track I thought my ankle was going to break, it hurt so much, and made it a bit hard to finish the class. So I loved it, but jeez its a lot harder on your body than I remembered (either that or I'm getting old!)

This week I received the most lovely surprise in the post. My mentoree and new friend Alicia E sent me the most beautiful thank-you card, and a voucher. I was completely touched - what a wonderful way to start the day! Could not wipe the smile off my face! Hopefully very soon we will be able to meet for a coffee and a chat!

The week is nearly over - where did it go?!

I'll have her body, thanks

Kristia Knowles... motiviation to go for a jog! I love this bikini too.

51 Days til our trip!

A few more days to go than Shar though!

I had an eventful night on Thursday night in bed (no its not what you're thinking - get your minds out of the gutter! hehehe). Got woken up by BF sitting bolt upright and turning on his bedside lamp... "Whats wrong?" I asked. He sat there staring up at the ceiling, looking from corner to corner over our heads... saying nothing. So I asked him again. He said "oh... nothing - must have been dreaming" and turned the light off and went back to sleep.

Took me ages to get to sleep after this. Then sometime early this morning I was woken again by him trying to take my pillow from me!! So I sat up and said "Babe, thats my pillow" - and he looked at me and asked "Where's MY pillow gone?" hehehe I was starting to giggle by now. Anyway, he sort of shrugs as if to say "oh well", and lays back down on his now pillow-less side of the bed. I thought - I cant let him sleep without a pillow... so I climbed all over him to find that his pillow had been thrown onto the floor a couple of metres from the bed. Gave it back to him, and tried to get back to sleep.

Then around 3am I woke with a screaming headache, I must have been dreaming something bad because I was clenching my teeth so tight- my whole face was hurting! Then all too soon the alarm went off at 5 and I got up to go to gym.

Well i asked BF what was going on in his sleep - and apparently he'd been dreaming about a huge spider running accross the ceiling of the bedroom, which is why he turned the light on and stared at the ceiling (I'm so glad he kept that to himself at the time... **shudder**) Also he'd had a dream about being in a car accident - wonder if that's how the pillow ended up on the other side of the room?

Didn't do step on Friday because of extreme tiredness - I would be just as likely to trip over the step rather than put my foot on it. So just got on the cross trainer and treadmill for some steady state cardio. The woman on the treadmill beside me turned out to be my accross-the-road neighbour!

Got up this morning to take the dogs for a walk to find it teeming with rain! It must be Jodie bringing the rain with her! As nice as it is to have rain (we're on level 4 water restriction now) - it does put a stop to things on the weekend. If the rain stops, I will take the pooches out.

Off to go shopping soon for a digital video camera for our trip!! Have a fantastic weekend!

Wednesday - Week 7

Had a mishap in the gym today!  I got on the abdominal reverse curl bench this morning, not even looking at the setting it was on... should have though.  The pin wasn't in properly, and the thing waited until I was fully lying on my back before it popped out and had me crashing down to the level position!!!!!  It made an awful noise, and I leapt off it pretty quick!  Turned around to find the whole gym room staring at me!  How embarrassing!  Took me a few minutes for my heart rate to return to normal after that!  LOL!

Anyway, not a lot to report today. I've been very low in energy the last few days, mostly due to lack of sleep again.   I feel like my get-up-and-go got-up-and-went!

We've had the bobcat in at our place in the last few days... BYE BYE VEGIE GARDEN :(  Our front and back "wilderness" has been removed, and we're now living in a dust pit.  Hopefully we can get a driveway laid soon - our cars are filthy, my shoes are filthy - dust just gets everywhere!  We've still got heaps of big gum trees, in fact, there is still more plant life on our block than in our last place.  We're just trying to tame it a little.  The new vegie garden might have to wait a little while though.

Got this by email today and I thought it was cute:

Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food.
Please note: Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by Formula1 and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king size bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years; canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is: Kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

"It has been said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."

Where did the weekend go?

Weekends just go too fast.  I need a holiday!

Got up nice and early on Saturday morning, walked the pooches, cleaned the house, did the groceries etc, and then one of my girlfriends came over for lunch, along with her 9 month old son Joshua.  He's growing up so fast, and really turning into a little man now, lots of personality!  hmmmm, am I getting clucky?

Saturday night we watched a couple of DVD's, during which I had 3 glasses of bubbly and fell asleep on the lounge!  Just cant keep up the pace anymore - jeez I'm getting old.  I woke up on Sunday morning with the beginnings of my stomach pains again, but my "miracle cure" glutamine seemed to save the day - after a shot of that I seemed to improve dramatically.  I really want to take my glutamine overseas with me, but I'm a bit worried about how I will go travelling with a "suspicious white powder"!!!  Might have to switch back to tablets for the duration of the trip.  I think it is really helping with my stomach issues though.

Not much else happened on the weekend - we went and looked at a car (for me), a Nissan Xtrail.  I liked it, and the price was right too.  We'll see what happens. 

Anyway, another week beckons, I am at week 7 of my challenge now - how fast time flies!  Weight went back up a little on the weekend, bugger.  Did the bike class again this morning, I think there was something wrong with the bike I was on - the tension was stuffed or something, I kept turning up the tension and it didn't feel like I was working hard enough.  I like to think that its just me getting fitter, but in reality I think the bike was faulty... Finished the class and jumped straight onto a treadmill for a 10 minute jog - jelly legs after that. 

56 days til our trip!   eeeeeeeeek!

Eye Assessment

Well I went and had my Lasik eye assessment yesterday afternoon.  First I had to watch a video about all the potential risks and dangers associated with Lasik, then had a whole heap of tests done, only to find out that my cornea is too thin to have either Lasik or PRK.  To meet the Australian Standard, the cornea has to be a minimum of 510 microns or something, and mine is way thin, getting down to 380 microns in some parts.

He said it was nothing that I've done, its not like I've worn away the cornea by wearing contact lenses for so long, its just the way I am - like having fine hair, or thin fingernails... thin corneas cause no other problems other than if you want to get Lasik done.  But I do have an option - I'm suitable for Implantable Contact Lenses, which has not been done a lot in Australlia, but if I go with that it means that I CANT get them done before the trip.  Plus you have to get one eye done at a time, with a few weeks in between.  So this might be an option for February next year.  Got lots of research to do!

Unfortunately because I was so excited beforehand, and totally had my heart set on being able to have it done, I was so disappointed when we left that I burst into tears as soon as we got in the lift.  And I was weirded out with having dilated pupils (which means that your eyes cant adjust to the light and bright light/daylight hurts),  and I was feeling quite low yesterday afternoon.  Spoke to mum and dad about it, and they were great - dad was telling me to be philosophical about it - things happen for a reason, and this other procedure sounds like a much better alternative, its reversible, the results are instant rather than waiting for that "adjusting" period of 3-6 months that Lasik has... I just cant have it done now, thats all.

Anyway I had a glass of wine and a handful of peanuts last night, which made me feel even worse.  I felt so gross and even drunk on ONE glass of wine!   Didnt feel like going to gym this morning, but I got up on autopilot and went anyway.  I humm'd and haaah'd about doing Step because I felt really lacking in energy.  At the last minute I decided to do it anyway, but only used one block instead of two.  Felt absolutely shattered afterwards, burned 430 calories, but also felt much better.  What would I do without exercise?!!  It always makes you feel good!

And was rewarded this morning when I stepped on the scales to find that I've reached 57kgs!

This week for some reason I'm not enjoying my food.  Apart from last night I've eaten 100% clean and on plan, but I'm so bored with my food!  I need to find some good recipe alternatives for dinner.  There's only so much chicken and salad, lamb and salad, and fish and salad that a girl can bear.  I've been eating this way for a year and a half now and always enjoyed it, but for some reason this week I cant stomach it.  I eat stir fries for lunch, so I dont want to eat that for dinner as well.  Does anyone have any suggestions, or point me to a few websites?

Good luck to all who are competing this weekend in Melbourne - wish I could be there!!

Monday

My weekend wrap-up... On Saturday morning I got up early and took the pooches for a walk around the new area, then we had Foxtel come out to do our installation.  Unfortunately they were unable to do it because there are some issues with the power pole that they need to run the cable from... long story, anyway, we had Energex come out and fix the power line, then had to re-book with Foxtel - so poor BF has to wait another two weeks to get his Fox Sports back!!

We went shopping after that - for a new lounge suite!  We're so picky, the sales people must hate us!  I think we went to about 6 different places trying to find the right one. We found one that we really really liked, but it was too big for the lounge room!!  So we came away without a purchase, but its still on the agenda.  While we were in Harvey Norman we found these fabulous "massage chairs" - they had about 6 or 7 models ranging from $1000 to about $9000.  OMG these chairs are amazing!  I got on one expecting that it would just vibrate or heat up, but its acutally got little "fingers" almost!  They have a rolling motion, or kneading, or tapping, and goes all the way up your body - even massages your feet, hamstrings, butt... everything!  We sat in these chairs for about half an hour, all the time we were going "oooooh... aaaaaaah.... OH MY GOD that feels good!!!" its a wonder we werent chucked out!!  hehehe.  If you've got a furniture store near you - you HAVE to try one of these chairs!!!!  When I win the lotto, I want one! :)

I had an optomotrist appointment on Saturday afternoon, and I received the good news that my script has not changed!  That's now 2 years with a stable script, and also my eyes are in great health.  Sooooooooo.... I have booked in to have an assessment for Laser Eye Surgery... I will find out on Thursday if I'm eligible!  I have been wanting to have this done for about 10 years, but I've never had stable vision.  So now, cross your fingers, I might be able to get it done before our trip!!

My challenge is going really well, this morning I was under 58kgs which I'm quite happy with.  On Saturday I was able to squeeze into a pair of 3/4 denim pants that a few weeks ago I couldn't do up.  Well they were tight, but at least I could wear them and still breathe... an important factor dont you think?  We have a new Amart AllSports open near us, and they have a huge sale on.  So I went and bought myself a new pair of gym shoes (finally - after months of putting up with shin splints!)  They are New Balance running shoes, white, with hot pink trim!!  Very snazzy, and my feet were glowing in the bike class this morning (darkened room with fluoro lights).

Food was great on Saturday, could have been a little better on Sunday though  - had a real sweet tooth last night unfortunately.  Anyway, I didn't do too much damage.  I'm going to have a sensational week this week!  Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!

The kitty and the toad

This story has a happy ending!  But I had a rough night!

Last night my lovely boyfriend added the final touches to Connors' "Grand Cat Palace" and added the cat flap.  Connor was very excited that he could come in and go out as he pleased!  The food and litter was promptly moved outside, and he was all set.

At about 9pm, we were just watching the end of Spicks and Specks, when I heard the cat come in and what sounded like paper being rustled.  I thought "oh he's playing with one of his paper balls - he must be happy".  Then he ran past us and up the stairs... where he sat and looked at us and shook his head.  When I looked up at him I though "oh how cute - he's still got the ball in his mouth!"... then I realised that the paper ball was actually FOAM... he was foaming at the mouth... and what I had thought was paper rustling had actually been him shaking his head and the froth hitting the floor.

Well I jumped up in an immediate panic!  The only thing I know of that turns an animal into an instant froth-maker is cane toad poison.  I whisked him up, ran to the kitchen sink, got BF to hold the cat down in a headlock, grabbed a syringey thing (no needle of course - it used to contain cat medicine in a paste) and squirted water into his mouth over and over, much to Connor's disgust.  It was actually heartbreaking to hear his cries - he was obviously in shock, and yowling, kicking, scratching, foaming, biting me.  Imagine the poor little things fright - he's obviously had a toad come into the enclosure, he's chased it, maybe tried to bite it - got rewarded with poison being squirted into his mouth, only to run inside and get pounded with mouthfuls of water for 10 minutes by his protector - me!!  We washed and washed his mouth and wiped his face, and only when we put him down did I start to freak.  Cane toad poison can kill a small dog, so imagine how scared I was for my poor little 4kg cat!  Freaked out so much I started crying.

Anyway, I rang the 24 hour animal emergency number and they said I had done the right thing, if he was going to show signs of it he would have been convulsing and fitting by now.  So I felt a bit better.  They said I should continue to wipe his mouth out with a wet cloth, getting around the gums and inside of the cheeks etc - yeah right - have you ever tried to do this with a cat?!!!  So poor Connor was tortured once again - BF had started to look like he was a cat himself - he was drenched in water and covered in white cat fur, not to mention all the scratches and bite marks from holding him down.

So we finally ended the torture, and I stayed up with him until about 11pm, which is soooo late for me.  But I had to be sure he was going to be ok.  He seemed to be back to his old self this morning - all I can say is that he was very VERY lucky.  Cane toads are nocturnal so I've decided that I'm only going to let him out into his enclosure during the day.  Most of the websites I've looked at say that cats are very smart and dont usually get struck twice - so hopefully he'll be very wary of toads in the future.

And because of that debacle last night I hardly slept!  So there was no way I could get up to go to gym today.  I've been good with food though, not really even wanted to eat junk so thats good.  Had to drive down the coast today, traffic was horrendous - all I can say is B.L.O.O.D.Y. INDY!  Grrrr

Here's to a better night and day tomorrow!!

Back into it and going strong

Alright I've really got my head in a good space at the moment - now that all the stress of the house stuff is out of the way, I'm focused and committed and ready to work.  I've figured out that I've got about 10 weeks until we leave on our trip, (eeek which also means 10 weeks til Christmas!!) so its time to put my head down and DO IT!

A major motivating factor here is that I tried on a few pairs of jeans on the weekend, and cant zip them up... aaaaaaauuuuurrrrggggh!  Now I'm going to be in the UK, Austria and Italy in WINTER, those jeans HAVE TO FIT!!  I refuse to buy a new wardrobe - these jeans are only a year old for heavens sake!  A few centimetres off the hips will do the trick... that seems to be the first place that I put on fat, and the last place I lose it from.  :(

Did a bike class yesterday - I'm really getting into these classes and loving the burn in the legs.  I'm a sicko I know.  I'm so motivated right now that after the bike class I just wanted to jump on a treadmill and run... but sadly I had to get home and get ready for work - silly day job!  This morning I did shoulders/biceps/triceps and then 20 minutes jogging following by 10mins powerwalk on the incline.  Again I wanted to stay for more but ran out of time.   Happy with myself that the last two mornings I have left the gym with a bright red face, so although I looked goofy, I worked really hard.

Anyway I promised the pups I would take them for a "walk" this afternoon (I use that term loosely, as I've said in previous posts - its more like me being dragged at top speed - but we call it a "walk" anyway) and now that I've promised the dogs, I cant let them down!!  Concentrating on having totally clean food - that bloated feeling is slowly going away (after my big carb-fest last week) - looking forward to having a flat stomach again.  Need to buy a new training diary, I've got one day left in my current one!!  Ahhh now I have a good excuse to pop into Rebel Sport and drool over the gym clothes!

It's Connor's birthday today!!  My little kitty-cat is 9 years old now, cant believe how time flies! 

Photos!

Andj, me and Deb at the QLD INBA's last weekend. Note the obvious skincolour difference! Why is it that us Queenslanders are all so pale when we have so much sun? (except for competitors of course!)

Today I had the priveledge of meeting Selina who is down for a brief visit to Brisbane. We chatted away for a couple of hours - it was lovely to meet her, she really is sweet and has the most amazing eyes! I'm so glad we got to meet as I felt like I already knew her. It was so hot today in Brisbane - 30 degrees or something.

This is my little man Connor this morning, basking in the sun of his new "Grand Palace" that my boyfriend made for him. It is at least three times the size of the one at the old place (he's an indoor cat, so his 'outside' area is important to him) and now the only thing missing is a cat door so he can let himself in and out! (a minor detail dont you think?!!) This will be rectified this week, so we should have one very happy kitty!